No less than 175 shuls in southern Israel have filed requests for fortification in light of statements from Deputy Minister of Religious Services Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan, who announced additional funding will be available for such projects. Forty-one of the requests came from shuls in Ashdod, thirty-four from Kiryat Malachi, nineteen from Sderot and fourteen in the Eshkol Regional Council district.

When Ben-Dahan realized most shuls in southern Israel are not fortified against rocket attacks, he announced his ministry would be allocating funds to correct the situation.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)